EMI Films was a British

film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production ...

and distributor. A subsidiary of the

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

conglomerate, the corporate name was not used throughout the entire period of EMI's involvement in the film industry, from 1969 to 1986, but the company's brief connection with

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

and Anglo-EMI, the division under

Nat Cohen Nat Cohen (23 December 1905 – 10 February 1988)William D. Rubinstein, et al (eds.''The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History'' Palgrave Macmillan, 2011, p.171 was a British film producer and executive. For over four decades he was one of t ...

, and the later company as part of the

Thorn EMI Thorn(s) or The Thorn(s) may refer to: Botany * Thorns, spines, and prickles, sharp structures on plants * ''Crataegus monogyna'', or common hawthorn, a plant species Comics and literature * Rose and Thorn, the two personalities of two DC Comic ...

conglomerate (following the merger with Thorn) are outlined here.

History

Headed by Bryan Forbes

The company was formed after the takeover of

Associated British Picture Corporation Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), originally British International Pictures (BIP), was a British film production, distribution and exhibition company active from 1927 until 1970 when it was absorbed into EMI. ABPC also owned appro ...

(ABPC) in 1969 by

, following the acquisition of

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

' shares in ABPC the previous year. At the time ABPC owned 270

ABC Cinemas ABC Cinemas (Associated British Cinemas) was a cinema chain in the United Kingdom. Originally a wholly owned subsidiary of Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), it operated between the 1930s and the 1980s. The brand name was reused in ...

, a half share in the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

contractor

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...

Elstree Studios Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and demolished British film studios and television studios based in or around the town of Borehamwood and village of Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. Production studios ha ...

at Shenley Road, and had recently bought

Anglo-Amalgamated Anglo-Amalgamated Productions was a British film production company, run by Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy, which operated from 1945 until roughly 1971 (after which it was absorbed into EMI Films). Low-budget and second features, often produced at M ...

, a film studio in which

had been a partner. EMI moved into film production with the foundation of a new company, EMI-Elstree.

Bernard Delfont Bernard Delfont, Baron Delfont (born Boris Winogradsky; 5 September 1909 – 28 July 1994) was a leading Russian-born British theatrical impresario. Life and career Delfont was born in Tokmak, Berdyansky Uyezd, Taurida Governorate, Russian ...

appointed writer-director

Bryan Forbes Bryan Forbes CBE (; born John Theobald Clarke; 22 July 1926 – 8 May 2013) was an English film director, screenwriter, film producer, actor and novelist described as a "Renaissance man"Falk Q. . BAFTA. 17 October 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2013 an ...

as the head of production at Elstree in April 1969 for three years at £40,000 a year, plus a percentage of the profits. As part of the general shake up of EMI, Nat Cohen was appointed to the Board. EMI announced they would make 28 films for $36 million – 13 of these would be from Cohen's unit for £7 million, the rest from Forbes'. Bernard Delfont called it "probably the most ambitious program ever undertaken by a British film company." Forbes announced his intention to make a variety of films at Elstree, steering away from what he called the "pornography of violence." He claimed EMI would make 14 films in 18 months with such stars as

Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...

and

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 19 ...

at a cost of £5–10 million in total. His aim was to keep budgets down and create a varied slate which would increase the chances of appealing to audiences and making a sufficient return to continue productions. Forbes soon announced his slate of projects, including: * ''Hoffman'' (with Peter Sellers, directed by Alvin Rakoff), * ''The Go-Between'' directed by

Joseph Losey Joseph Walton Losey III (; January 14, 1909 – June 22, 1984) was an American theatre and film director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Wisconsin, he studied in Germany with Bertolt Brecht and then returned to the United States. Blackliste ...

, * ''The Breaking of Bumbo'' directed by

Kevin Brownlow Kevin Brownlow (born Robert Kevin Brownlow; 2 June 1938) is a British film historian, television documentary-maker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. He is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era, having become inter ...

and Andrew Mollo, * ''The Feathers of Death'' directed by

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...

from a story by

Simon Raven Simon Arthur Noël Raven (28 December 1927 – 12 May 2001) was an English author, playwright, essayist, television writer, and screenwriter. He is known for his louche lifestyle as much as for his literary output. Expelled from Charterhouse S ...

(unproduced), * a film of a script by

Richard Condon Richard Thomas Condon (March 18, 1915 – April 9, 1996) was an American political novelist. Though his works were satire, they were generally transformed into thrillers or semi-thrillers in other media, such as cinema. All 26 books were writte ...

, * an adaptation of ''The Railway Children'' directed by Lionel Jeffries, * ''A Fine and Private Place'', directed by Paul Watson * ''Dulcima'' directed by Frank Nesbitt with John Mills, * ''Forbrush and the Penguins''. "This is the first serious effort to revitalize the British film industry in 20 years", said Forbes. He added, "We intend to give youth a chance and not merely pay lip service to it. This is our first program and it won't be our last." However, the first few films of Forbes' regime actually performed poorly commercially: ''Eyewitness'', ''

Hoffmann Hoffmann is a German surname. People A * Albert Hoffmann (1846–1924), German horticulturist * Alexander Hoffmann (born 1975), German politician * Arthur Hoffmann (politician) (1857–1927), Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Cou ...

'', '' And Soon the Darkness'' and ''

The Man Who Haunted Himself ''The Man Who Haunted Himself'' is a 1970 British psychological thriller film written and directed by Basil Dearden (his final film prior to his death by automobile accident in 1971) and starring Roger Moore. It is based on the 1957 novel ''The ...

'' (starring Moore). ''

The Breaking of Bumbo ''The Breaking of Bumbo'' is a 1970 British comedy film written and directed by Andrew Sinclair, a former Coldstream Guards National service officer that was updated from his 1959 novel of the same name that featured the Suez Crisis. It star ...

'' (all 1970), and ''

Mr. Forbush and the Penguins ''Mr. Forbush and the Penguins'' (also known as ''Cry of the Penguins'') is a 1971 British comedy drama film, directed by Arne Sucksdorff, Alfred Viola and Roy Boulting. It stars John Hurt, Hayley Mills, Dudley Sutton and Tony Britton. Plot A ...

'' (1971) flopped and ''

A Fine and Private Place ''A Fine and Private Place'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Peter S. Beagle, the first of his major fantasies. It was first published in hardcover by Viking Press on May 23, 1960, followed by a trade paperback from Delta the same year. ...

'' was abandoned. Forbes clashed with Bernard Delfont and their American backers, in this case Columbia, over the artistic and commercial value of director

's film ''

The Go-Between ''The Go-Between'' is a novel by L. P. Hartley published in 1953. His best-known work, it has been adapted several times for stage and screen. The book gives a critical view of society at the end of the Victorian era through the eyes of a naïv ...

'' (1970). Forbes was also criticised within EMI for directing his own film, ''

The Raging Moon ''The Raging Moon'' (released in the US as ''Long Ago, Tomorrow'') is a 1971 British romantic drama film starring Malcolm McDowell and Nanette Newman and based on the book by British novelist Peter Marshall. Adapted and directed by Bryan Forbes ( ...

'' (US: ''Long Ago, Tomorrow'', 1971). ''

The Railway Children ''The Railway Children'' is a children's book by Edith Nesbit, originally serialised in ''The London Magazine'' during 1905 and published in book form in the same year. It has been adapted for the screen several times, of which the 1970 film ...

'' (1970) and '' Tales of Beatrix Potter'' (1971) were Forbes' only hits. The company was affected with labour problems. Forbes felt as though he did not have the support of the EMI board, arguing that he never had the funds to market his films, in contrast with those available to Anglo-EMI, which was headed by

. Forbes resigned in March 1971, after committing himself to a no-redundancy policy. He had made eleven films in total for an estimated cost of £4 million. Although Forbes' regime was seen at the time to have been a commercial failure, he later claimed that by 1993 his £4 million program of films had eventually brought EMI a profit of £16 million. Among the films Forbes wished to make but was unable to during his time at Elstree were adaptations of ''

The Living Room The Living Room was a music venue on Metropolitan Avenue in the Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, which was originally established on Stanton Street of the Lower East Side in Manhattan, New York City in 1988. The Liv ...

'', the play by

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

to be directed by

Michael Powell Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company The Archers, they together wrote, produced and directed a serie ...

; a musical about the Bernado Boys; and ''The Loud, Loud Silence'' a post-apocalyptic story from Richard Condon. He turned down ''

Ned Kelly Edward Kelly (December 1854 – 11 November 1880) was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, gang leader and convicted police-murderer. One of the last bushrangers, he is known for wearing a suit of bulletproof armour during his final shootout wi ...

'' (1970) because its projected budget was too high.

MGM-EMI

In April 1970, EMI struck up a co-production agreement with

. The Hollywood studio announced they would sell their Borehamwood facility ("MGM-British Studios") and move their equipment to EMI's Elstree studio. MGM and EMI would then distribute and produce films in co-operation through a joint venture to be called MGM-EMI.Sian Barbe
''The British Film Industry in the 1970s: Capital, Culture and Creativity''
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013, p.47 and MGM began to finance some of EMI's productions. EMI's studio complex was renamed EMI-MGM Elstree StudiosPatricia Warren ''British Film Studios: An Illustrated History'', London: B.T Batsford, 2001, p.76 while a

film distribution Film distribution (also known as Film exhibition or Film distribution and exhibition) is the process of making a movie available for viewing by an audience. This is normally the task of a professional film distributor, who would determine the marke ...

company MGM-EMI Distributors Ltd. was formed as part of the co-production agreement. This company, headed by Mike Havas would handle domestic distribution of

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

and EMI-produced films in the United Kingdom. It was originally announced that MGM-EMI would make six to eight films a year, but they ended up producing far fewer. Forbes was given the title of managing director of MGM-EMI to add to his existing title of head of production. In July 1970 MGM-EMI announced they would make four co-productions: ''The Go-Between'', ''

Get Carter ''Get Carter'' is a 1971 British crime film written and directed by Mike Hodges in his directorial debut and starring Michael Caine, Ian Hendry, John Osborne, Britt Ekland and Bryan Mosley. Based on Ted Lewis's 1970 novel ''Jack's Return Hom ...

'', ''The Boyfriend'' and ''The Last Run'' directed by

John Boorman Sir John Boorman (; born 18 January 1933) is a British film director, best known for feature films such as ''Point Blank'' (1967), ''Hell in the Pacific'' (1968), ''Deliverance'' (1972), ''Zardoz'' (1974), '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'' (1977), ...

. Of these only the last was not made. MGM pulled out of the amalgamation in 1973, and became a member of

CIC CIC may refer to: Organizations Canada * Cadet Instructors Cadre, a part of the Canadian Armed Forces * Canadian Infantry Corps, renamed in 1947 to Royal Canadian Infantry Corps * Canadian International Council * Canadian Islamic Congress * Chemi ...

, which took over international distribution of MGM produced films. At this point the distribution company became EMI Film Distributors Ltd., and EMI-MGM Elstree Studios reverted to EMI-Elstree Studios.

Anglo-EMI Film Distributors

EMI's other filmmaking division, Anglo-EMI Film Distributors Ltd, which had come out of Anglo-Amalgamated, was run autonomously by

. This wing of the company had released films such as ''

Percy The English surname Percy is of Norman origin, coming from Normandy to England, United Kingdom. It was from the House of Percy, Norman lords of Northumberland, derives from the village of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy. From there, it came into use ...

'' (1971). They also financed and distributed a series of films made by

Hammer Film Productions Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of these involve clas ...

, which partly came about through

's friendship with

James Carreras Sir James Enrique Carreras (30 January 1909 – 9 June 1990) was a British film producer and executive who, together with William Hinds, founded the British company Hammer Film Productions. His career spanned nearly 45 years, in multiple face ...

. Nat Cohen took over Forbes' responsibilities as head of production after his resignation in 1971. Cohen backed productions intended for international success, and EMI had a more obviously commercial outlook. In October 1971, EMI's chairman John Read admitted the film division had performed disappointingly. "Profits were negligible last year and we felt it was desirable to make one or two provisions to write off some of the costs." However films like ''

On the Buses ''On the Buses'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom that was broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 1969 to 1973. It was created by Chesney and Wolfe, Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe, who wrote most of the episodes. It spawned thr ...

'' and ''

Up Pompeii ''Up Pompeii!'' is a British television comedy series broadcast between 1969 and 1970, starring Frankie Howerd. The first series was written by Talbot Rothwell, a scriptwriter for the ''Carry On'' films, and the second series by Rothwell and S ...

'' (both 1971) performed well in relation to their budgets. "The experts say you're doing well if you make money out of one in three films", said Read. "We see filmmaking as a significant profit earner in the future." Cohen was responsible for overseeing about 70% of the films produced in the UK during 1973, following a significant decline in domestic projects overall. In particular, long-term duopoly rival

Rank Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as: Level or position in a hierarchical organization * Academic rank * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy * H ...

had by now greatly reduced its own investment in British film production to a token presence. Cohen was not unaware of the problems inherent in his dominant position. Meanwhile, dependent on support from the most profitable parts of EMI, the company's financial position meant that they had to avoid backing any risky productions. In May 1973, Cohen announced a £3 million production slate of movies including an adaptation of ''

Swallows and Amazons ''Swallows and Amazons'' is a children's adventure novel by English author Arthur Ransome and first published on 21 July 1930 by Jonathan Cape. Set in the summer of 1929 in the Lake District, the book introduces the main characters of John, ...

'' (1974) and a sequel to ''

Alfie Alfie may refer to: Theatre and film * ''Alfie'' (play), a 1963 play by Bill Naughton * ''Alfie'' (1966 film), a film based on the play starring Michael Caine * ''Alfie'' (2004 film), a remake of the 1966 film * ''Alfie'' (2013 film), an Indi ...

'' (1966) released as ''

Alfie Darling ''Alfie Darling'' is a 1975 British comedy drama film directed by Ken Hughes. The film premiered at the Universal Cinema in London on 6 March 1975. It is the sequel to the film '' Alfie'' (1966), with Alan Price taking over Michael Caine's rol ...

'' (1975). The greatest success of Cohen's regime was ''

Murder on the Orient Express ''Murder on the Orient Express'' is a work of detective fiction by English writer Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 1 January 1934. In the U ...

'' (1974), which Cohen later claimed was the first British movie fully financed by a British company to reach the top of the American box office charts. In July 1975, Cohen announced a £6 million programme of new films, including ''

Seven Nights in Japan ''Seven Nights in Japan'' is a 1976 Anglo-French drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Michael York, Charles Gray, and Hidemi Aoki. Story The film is about seven days in the life of Prince George, who is travelling in Japan for the ...

'' and ''

To the Devil a Daughter ''To the Devil...a Daughter'' is a 1976 British-West German horror film directed by Peter Sykes, produced by Hammer Film Productions and Terra Filmkunst, and starring Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Honor Blackman, Nastassja Kinski and Den ...

'' (both 1976). These were not particularly successful. Cohen resigned as chairman on 31 December 1977.

Michael Deeley and Barry Spikings

In May 1976, the company purchased

British Lion Films British Lion Films is a film production and distribution company active under several forms since 1919. Originally known as British Lion Film Corporation Ltd, it entered receivership on 1 June 1954. From 29 January 1955 to 1976, the company was kn ...

and the two men who ran British Lion,

Michael Deeley Michael Deeley (born 6 August 1932) is an Academy Award-winning British film producer known for such motion pictures as ''The Italian Job'' (1969), ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), and ''Blade Runner'' (1982). He is also a founding member and Honora ...

and

Barry Spikings Barry Spikings (born 23 November 1939) is a British film producer who worked in Hollywood. Spikings is best known as a producer of the film, ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), which won five Academy Awards. Biography Spikings was born in Boston, Lincoln ...

, became joint managing directors of EMI Distributors, with Nat Cohen remaining as chairman and chief executive. They also joined the EMI board, headed by Bernard Delfont. Deeley and Spiking's method was to only make a film if at least half the budget was put up by an American studio, reducing their financial risk although making the studio's product less obviously British. They focused on movies with international appeal – i.e. action films – and major stars. The initial Deeley-Spikings slate included three films shot in the US, with $18 million in all" ''

The Deer Hunter ''The Deer Hunter'' is a 1978 war drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Slavic-American steelworkers whose lives were upended after fighting in the Vietnam War. The three soldiers are played by Robert De Niro, Chr ...

'', ''

Convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

'' and ''

The Driver ''The Driver'' is a 1978 American neo-noir crime film, crime thriller film written and directed by Walter Hill. It stars Ryan O'Neal, Bruce Dern, and Isabelle Adjani. O'Neal is the getaway driver for robberies whose exceptional talent has prevent ...

'' (all 1978). They also made three British-based films, ''

Death on the Nile ''Death on the Nile'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 1 November 1937 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edition retailed at s ...

'' (1978), ''

Warlords of Atlantis ''Warlords of Atlantis'' (aka ''Warlords of the Deep'', though see below for further variant titles) is a 1978 British adventure science fiction film directed by Kevin Connor and starring Doug McClure, Peter Gilmore, Shane Rimmer, and Lea Brodie ...

'' (1978) and ''

Sweeney 2 ''Sweeney 2'' is a 1978 British action crime drama film. It was made as a sequel to the successful 1977 film '' Sweeney!.'' Both films are an extension of the popular British ITV television series '' The Sweeney'' (1975–78). Some of the actio ...

'' (1978). Films announced by not made include ''The Last Gun'' and ''Chinese Bandit''. EMI also signed an agreement to invest $5 million in Columbia films. They picked ''

Close Encounters of the Third Kind ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' is a 1977 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, Cary Guffey, and François Truffaut. It tells the story ...

'', '' The Deep'' and '' The Greatest'' (all 1977).

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

played himself in the last of these. In July 1976, EMI bought

Roger Gimbel Roger Gimbel (March 11, 1925 – April 26, 2011) was an American television producer who specialized in television movies. Many of Gimbel's television films dealt with real-life events, including '' Chernobyl: The Final Warning'', '' S.O.S. Titani ...

's production company, Tomorrow Enterprises, and formed EMI Television, headed by Gimbel. They made a large number of American TV movies like ''

The Amazing Howard Hughes ''The Amazing Howard Hughes'' is a 1977 American made-for-television biographical film about American aviation pioneer and filmmaker Howard Hughes, based on the book ''Howard: The Amazing Mr. Hughes'' by Hughes' business partner Noah Dietrich. T ...

'' (1977) and ''

Deadman's Curve ''Deadman's Curve'' is a 1978 American made-for-television biographical film based on the musical careers of Jan Berry and Dean Torrence. The film was developed from a 1974 article published in ''Rolling Stone'' by Paul Morantz, who also helped ...

'' (1978). EMI backed out of funding ''

Monty Python's Life of Brian ''Monty Python's Life of Brian'' (also known as ''Life of Brian'') is a 1979 British comedy film starring and written by the comedy group Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin). It wa ...

'' (1979) at the last moment, after Bernard Delfont read the script and objected to its treatment of religion. In April 1978, EMI announced they would make films with the newly formed

Orion Pictures Orion Pictures (legal name Orion Releasing, LLC) is an American film production and distribution company owned by Amazon through its Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) subsidiary. In its original operating period, the company produced and released films ...

, including ''

Arabian Adventure ''Arabian Adventure'' is a 1979 British fantasy adventure film directed by Kevin Connor and starring Christopher Lee and Oliver Tobias. The film was shot at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, U.K. Premise An evil caliph (Christopher Lee) offer ...

'' (1979) and other projects. Michael Deeley left EMI in 1979 but Barry Spikings remained in charge of film production.

Spikings, AFD and Thorn-EMI merger

Spikings announced a slate of films under his auspices: ''

The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolated ...

'' with

Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...

, ''

The Elephant Man Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890), often erroneously called John Merrick, was an English man known for having severe deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "the Elephant Man" and then wen ...

'' (both 1980), ''

Honky Tonk Freeway ''Honky Tonk Freeway'' is a 1981 American-British comedy film directed by John Schlesinger. The film, conceived and co-produced by Don Boyd, was one of the most expensive box office bombs in history, losing its British backers Thorn EMI between ...

'' (1981)

Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019), was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post-World War II era, ...

's biopic of

Maria Callas Maria Callas . (born Sophie Cecilia Kalos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her ''bel cant ...

, ''Discoland'', ''The Awakening'', and ''The Knight'' directed by

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...

. Delfont created a new company,

Associated Film Distribution Associated Film Distribution was a British film distribution company. It was set up in the 1970s by ITC Entertainment and EMI Films to distribute their films in the US. Michael Deeley, head of EMI at the time, opposed the move. He thought it was ...

, to distribute films of EMI and

ITC Entertainment The Incorporated Television Company (ITC), or ITC Entertainment as it was referred to in the United States, was a British company involved in production and distribution of television programmes. History Incorporated Television Programme Compan ...

, then controlled by

Lew Grade Lew Grade, Baron Grade, (born Lev Winogradsky; 25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was a British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production began in 1954 ...

, his brother. EMI's film division was renamed Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment, to reflect EMI's merger with

Thorn Electrical Industries Thorn Electrical Industries Limited was a British electrical engineering company. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange, but merged with EMI Group to form Thorn EMI in 1979. It was de-merged in 1996 and became a constituent of the FTSE 100 In ...

to become

in 1979. In March 1980, EMI were only making one film in Britain ''

The Mirror Crack'd ''The Mirror Crack'd'' is a 1980 British mystery film directed by Guy Hamilton from a screenplay by Jonathan Hales and Barry Sandler, based on Agatha Christie's Miss Marple novel ''The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side'' (1962). It stars Ange ...

'', which was released at the end of the year, but was a box-office failure. Lord Delfont announced that the company had purchased two British scripts, ''The Defense'' by

John Mortimer Sir John Clifford Mortimer (21 April 1923 – 16 January 2009) was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author. He is best known for novels about a barrister named Horace Rumpole. Early life Mortimer was born in Hampstead, London, ...

and ''Off the Record'' by

Frederick Forsyth Frederick McCarthy Forsyth (born 25 August 1938) is an English novelist and journalist. He is best known for thrillers such as ''The Day of the Jackal'', ''The Odessa File'', '' The Fourth Protocol'', '' The Dogs of War'', ''The Devil's Alter ...

. He admitted that sixty percent of the company's film budget would be spent in America the following year but "100% of the profits would come to this country... We have got to make films we believe are international, to get the money to bring exports back to this country." In February 1981, Barry Spikings announced a slate of films worth £70 million, including ''

'', ''

Memoirs of a Survivor ''The Memoirs of a Survivor'' is a dystopian novel by Nobel Prize-winner Doris Lessing. It was first published in 1974 by Octagon Press. It was made into a film in 1981, starring Julie Christie and Nigel Hawthorne, and directed by David Glad ...

'', ''Comrades'' and ''The Knight'' (a

Walter Hill Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

film). The latter was not made. In March 1981, Spikings admitted AFD has not "gotten off to a flying start" and would be wound up, with Universal taking over distribution of EMI Films. He argued that "production and distribution are not linked" and pointed to the five Oscars that EMI films had earned. In particular, ''

Can't Stop the Music ''Can't Stop the Music'' is a 1980 American musical comedy film directed by Nancy Walker. Written by Allan Carr and Bronté Woodard, the film is a pseudo-biography of the 1970s disco group the Village People loosely based on the actual story of ...

'' (1980), ''Honky Tonk Freeway'', and ''

Raise the Titanic ''Raise the Titanic!'' is a 1976 adventure novel by Clive Cussler, published in the United States by the Viking Press. It tells the story of efforts to bring the remains of the ill-fated ocean liner RMS ''Titanic'' to the surface of the Atlanti ...

'' (1980) had been box-office failures. Also in 1981, Thorn EMI entered the fast-growing home video market as Thorn EMI Video, featuring an initial line-up of 14 titles (''The Tubes Video'', ''April Wine Live in London'', ''I Am a Dancer'', ''Can't Stop the Music'', ''Times Square'', ''Death on the Nile'', ''The Cruel Sea'', ''The Day the Earth Caught Fire'', ''The Best of Benny Hill'', ''Scars of Dracula'', ''Sophia Loren: Her Own Story'', ''S.O.S. Titanic'', ''The Royal Wedding'', and ''Queen: Greatest Flix''). The division was primarily active in both the UK and the US, as well as in Australia. In addition to Thorn EMI's own material, the division licensed titles from other companies, mostly those who had no home video division at the time, including

New Line Cinema New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after acq ...

Carolco Pictures Carolco Pictures, Inc. was an American independent film studio that existed from 1976 to 1995, founded by Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna. Kassar and Vajna ran Carolco together until 1989, when Vajna left to form Cinergi Pictures. Carolco hit ...

and

Hemdale Film Corporation Hemdale Film Corporation, known as Hemdale Communications after 1992, was an independent American-British film production company and distributor. The company was founded in London in 1967 as the Hemdale Company by actor David Hemmings and John D ...

Verity Lambert

In January 1983, Barry Spikings left the company and

Verity Lambert Verity Ann Lambert (27 November 1935 – 22 November 2007) was an English television and film producer. Lambert began working in television in the 1950s. She began her career as a producer at the BBC by becoming the founding producer of ...

was appointed head of production. Gary Dartnall became executive chairman. Lambert's first slate was ''Slayground'', '' Comfort and Joy'', ''Illegal Aliens'' (which became ''

Morons from Outer Space ''Morons from Outer Space'' is a 1985 British comedy-science fiction film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Griff Rhys Jones, Mel Smith, Joanne Pearce, Jimmy Nail and James B. Sikking. Plot The story begins on a small spaceship docking with ...

'') and ''

Dreamchild ''Dreamchild'' is a 1985 British drama film written by Dennis Potter, directed by Gavin Millar, and produced by Rick McCallum and Kenith Trodd. The film, starring Coral Browne, Ian Holm, Peter Gallagher, Nicola Cowper and Amelia Shankley, is a ...

''. Lambert said they aimed to make five films a year ranging in budget from $5 to $10 million. On 1 March 1983, EMI Films filed a lawsuit against

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...

, whereas EMI would finance ''

WarGames ''WarGames'' is a 1983 American science fiction techno-thriller film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and directed by John Badham. The film, which stars Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood, and Ally Sheedy, follows Dav ...

'', and UA would receive North American rights, while EMI received international rights to the film and pay $4.5 million delivery. November 1984 saw Thorn EMI Video's US division form a partnership with pay television company

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

; the company then became known as Thorn EMI/HBO Video. The deal saw HBO take a stake in the venture and contribute their own productions for video distribution. In December 1984, Thorn EMI offered investors the chance to invest in several films by issuing £36 million worth of shares. The films were ''

A Passage to India ''A Passage to India'' is a 1924 novel by English author E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of 20th century English litera ...

'' (1984), ''

'', ''

Wild Geese II ''Wild Geese II'' is a 1985 British action-thriller film directed by Peter Hunt, based on the 1982 novel '' The Square Circle'' by Daniel Carney, in which a group of mercenaries are hired to spring Rudolf Hess from Spandau Prison in Berlin. Th ...

'' and ''

The Holcroft Covenant ''The Holcroft Covenant'' is a 1978 novel by Robert Ludlum. In 1985 it was made into a film of the same name. Plot The novel concerns Noel Holcroft, New York City architect and secretly the son of Heinrich Clausen, chief economic adviser to the ...

'' (all 1985). In March 1985, Thorn-EMI announced they would set up a production fund worth $175 million to make around twenty films. Film Finance Director John Reiss said the fund would be used as loans for filmmakers or to invest in films budgeted around $13–14 million. Reiss said that the films would be made for international audiences. On 15 May 1985, Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment made an agreement with Gladden Entertainment Corporation whereas Thorn EMI would release Gladden's films for international theatrical distribution. Lambert resigned in July 1985. After this TESE wound down its in-house production arm and relied on films from independent outfits. That month, TESE signed a deal with French distributor AAA for a 30-month output of the entire British film library, serving 20 films, and did not want to cover all home video rights. On August 6, 1985, Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment agreed deals with various production outfits such as John Bradbourne and Richard Goodwin,

Jeremy Thomas Jeremy Jack Thomas, CBE (born 26 July 1949) is a British film producer, founder and chairman of Recorded Picture Company. He produced Bernardo Bertolucci's ''The Last Emperor'', which won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Picture. In 2006 he rece ...

Euan Lloyd Euan Lloyd (6 December 1923 – 2 July 2016) was a British film producer. Biography He began his career directing short travelogue documentaries, starting with '' April in Portugal'' in 1954 (not released until 1956). He worked in publicity, ...

and Chris Chrisafis,

and Simon Perry in order to gave the independent outfits "complete freedom" to develop motion pictures. The last films made under Lambert's watch were ''

Clockwise Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back up to the top. The opposite ...

'' and ''Link''. On 20 August 1985, Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment and

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

, which was distributing EMI's films ever since 1981 after acquiring

elected to dissolve the U.S. partnership by mutual consent. Lambert recalled in 1997: "the person who hired me left, and the person who came in didn't want to produce films and didn't want me. While I managed to make some films I was proud of... ''Dreamchild'', and ''Clockwise''... it was terribly tough and not a very happy experience. But I was determined to see out my three-year contract. By the end I'd had enough of corporate life and wanted to see what I could do as an independent."

Denouement

In November 1985, Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment was placed up for sale with interested buyers including the

Rank Organization The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment conglomerate founded by industrialist J. Arthur Rank in April 1937. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the United Kingdom, owning production, distribut ...

The Cannon Group The Cannon Group, Inc. was an American group of companies, including Cannon Films, which produced films from 1967 to 1994. The extensive group also owned, amongst others, a large international cinema chain and a video film company that invested ...

, publishing empire

Robert Maxwell Ian Robert Maxwell (born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch; 10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991) was a Czechoslovak-born British media proprietor, member of parliament (MP), suspected spy, and fraudster. Early in his life, Maxwell escaped from N ...

, Heron Communications, and a management buyout led by Gary Dartnall. The following month, in December 1985, it accepted a £110 million ($161.7 million) management offer to place the entire Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment division up for sale. The company's division, British Lion Film Productions Ltd., which EMI bought in 1976, and all trademarks of the British Lion name, which was divested to a former staffer of the company,

Peter Snell Sir Peter George Snell (17 December 1938 – 12 December 2019) was a New Zealand middle-distance runner. He won three Olympic gold medals, and is the only man since 1920 to have won the 800 and 1500 metres at the same Olympics, in 1964. Snell ...

, of Britannic Film & Television. In April 1986, Thorn EMI sold its film production and distribution arm (Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment), home video ( Thorn EMI Video), and cinema (

) operations to businessman

Alan Bond Alan Bond (22 April 1938 – 5 June 2015) was an English-born Australian businessman noted for his high-profile and often corrupt business dealings. These included his central role in the WA Inc scandals of the 1980s, and what was at the time ...

. Bond, in turn, sold it to

a week later. A year after the purchase, a cash-strapped Cannon sold most of the film library to

Weintraub Entertainment Group Weintraub Entertainment Group (WEG) was a film production company considered to be a mini-major studio founded by Jerry Weintraub. History Weintraub Entertainment Group was formed on July 1, 1986 by Jerry Weintraub. In February 1987, WEG receiv ...

. They also sold their stake in the video venture inherited from Thorn EMI (which had been renamed as HBO/Cannon Video in the meantime), resulting in HBO running the video label alone from that point forward. The library passed through the hands of several companies over the following years and is now owned by

StudioCanal StudioCanal S.A.S. (formerly known as Le Studio Canal+, Canal Plus, Canal+ Distribution, Canal+ D.A., Canal+ Production, and Canal+ Image and also known as StudioCanal International) is a French film production and distribution company that owns ...

, a former sister company to

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

and parent company

Canal+ Group Groupe Canal+ is a French mass media company. It is owned and controlled by Vivendi and has a film library in excess of 5,000 films. Vivendi has sold some parts of Canal+ to private investors which are still using the name of Canal+. It is headqu ...

's acquisition of European cinema operator UGC who acquired the library's then-owner, the United Kingdom-based Lumiere Pictures and Television in 1996, via

Cannon Films The Cannon Group, Inc. was an American group of companies, including Cannon Films, which produced films from 1967 to 1994. The extensive group also owned, amongst others, a large international cinema chain and a video film company that invested ...

. EMI Films also owned

in Hertfordshire, England; in turn,

Cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

ended up purchasing the studio as well, but later sold it to

Brent Walker Brent Walker was a British company involved in property, gambling, distilled beverages and pubs. It was founded by George Walker, the brother of the boxer Billy Walker. In 1991, following the accumulation of debts which had been used to finance ...

in 1988, who in turn ended up selling half of the EMI Elstree Studios site to Tesco for a supermarket, before Hertsmere Council eventually acquired what was left of the Elstree Studios, and, as of 2018, continues to operate it as a film and television studios centre.

Select filmography

EMI financed films under several names and with a series of production partners. Below are the main ones:

Bryan Forbes

* ''

Eyewitness Eyewitness or eye witness may refer to: Witness * Witness, someone who has knowledge acquired through first-hand experience ** Eyewitness memory ** Eyewitness testimony Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Eyewitness'' (1956 film), a Britis ...

'' (1970) ( ABPC) ( ITC) * '' And Soon the Darkness'' (1970) (ABPC) * ''

Hoffman Hoffman is a surname of German and Jewish origin. The original meaning in medieval times was "steward", i.e. one who manages the property of another. In English and other European languages, including Yiddish and Dutch, the name can also be spelle ...

'' (1970) (ABPC) * ''

'' (1970) * ''

'' (1970) (abandoned) * ''

'' (1971) * ''

The Tales of Beatrix Potter ''The Tales of Beatrix Potter'' (US title: ''Peter Rabbit and Tales of Beatrix Potter'') is a 1971 ballet film based on the children's stories of English author and illustrator Beatrix Potter. The film was directed by Reginald Mills, choreograp ...

'' (1971) * ''

Dulcima ''Dulcima'' is a 1971 British drama film directed by Frank Nesbitt. It was entered into the 21st Berlin International Film Festival. The story revolves around a love triangle: a farmer, his housekeeper and the handsome neighbour. Plot Dulcima G ...

'' (1971)

Hammer co-productions

* ''

'' (July 1971) * ''

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb ''Blood from the Mummy's Tomb'' is a 1971 British horror film starring Andrew Keir, Valerie Leon, and James Villiers. It was director Seth Holt's final film, and was loosely adapted from Bram Stoker's 1903 novel ''The Jewel of Seven Stars''.Gar ...

'' (October 1971) * ''

Mutiny on the Buses ''Mutiny on the Buses'' is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Harry Booth and starring Reg Varney and Doris Hare. The film is the second spin-off film from the TV sitcom ''On the Buses'' and succeeded ''On the Buses'' (1971). It was followed ...

'' (June 1972) * '' Straight on Till Morning'' (July 1972) * ''

Demons of the Mind ''Demons of the Mind'' is a 1972 British horror film, directed by Peter Sykes and produced by Anglo-EMI, Frank Godwin Productions and Hammer Film Productions. It was written by Christopher Wicking, based on a story by Frank Godwin and was relea ...

'' (November 1972) * '' Man at the Top'' (1973) (AE/H) * ''

Love Thy Neighbour Love Thy Neighbor or Love Thy Neighbour refers to the Biblical phrase "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" from the Book of Leviticus 19:18 in the Old Testament about the ethic of reciprocity known as the Golden Rule or the Great Commandment. ...

'' (July 1973) * ''

Holiday on the Buses ''Holiday on the Buses'' is a 1973 British comedy film directed by Bryan Izzard and starring Reg Varney and Doris Hare. The film is the third and final spin-off film from the ITV sitcom ''On the Buses'' and succeeded the films ''On the Buses'' ...

'' (December 1973) * ''

'' (March 1976) (H)

MGM-EMI

* ''

'' (1971) (ME) * ''

'' (1971) (ME) * '' The Boy Friend'' (1971) (ME)

Nat Cohen/Anglo-EMI

* '' All the Way Up'' (1970) ( AA) * ''

Spring and Port Wine ''Spring and Port Wine'' is a stage play by Bill Naughton and a 1970 British kitchen sink drama film based on it. The drama is set in Bolton and concerns the Crompton family, especially Rafe, the father, and his attempts to assert his authority ...

'' (1970) (AA) * ''

Entertaining Mr Sloane ''Entertaining Mr Sloane'' is a three-act play written in 1963 by the English playwright Joe Orton. It was first produced in London at the New Arts Theatre on 6 May 1964 and transferred to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre on 29 June 1964. Plo ...

'' (1970) (AA) * '' The Body'' (1970) (AE) * ''

'' (1971) (AE) * ''

Villain A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...

'' (1971) (AE) – produced by Kanter, Ladd and Kastner * ''

Family Life Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...

'' (1971) (AE) – directed by Ken Loach * ''

Up the Chastity Belt ''Up the Chastity Belt'' (also released as ''Naughty Knights'' in the United States) is a 1971 British comedy film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Frankie Howerd. It was a spin-off from the TV series ''Up Pompeii!'' Plot Eleanor of Aquita ...

'' (1972) * ''

Steptoe and Son ''Steptoe and Son'' is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about a father-and-son rag-and-bone business in 26a Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC in black and ...

'' (1972) * ''

I Am a Dancer ''I Am a Dancer'' is a 1972 ballet film.''I am a Dancer'' review
at

'' (1972) (AE) * ''

Afternoon of a Champion ''Weekend of a Champion'' (alternately titled ''Afternoon of a Champion'') is a British 1972 documentary film that captures the effort of British Formula One racing driver Jackie Stewart to compete in the 1971 Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo. ...

'' (1972) (AE) (documentary) * ''

Up the Front ''Up the Front'' is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Frankie Howerd, Bill Fraser, and Hermione Baddeley. It is the third film spin-off from the television series ''Up Pompeii!'' (the previous films being ''Up th ...

'' (1972) (AE) * ''

Henry VIII and His Six Wives ''Henry VIII and His Six Wives'' is a 1972 British historical film adaptation, directed by Waris Hussein, of the BBC 1970 six-part miniseries '' The Six Wives of Henry VIII''. Keith Michell, who plays Henry VIII in the TV series, also portrays ...

'' (1972) (AE) * '' Endless Night'' (1972) * ''

Our Miss Fred ''Our Miss Fred'' is a 1972 British comedy film starring Danny La Rue, set during World War II. The film was also known by its video release titles ''Beyond the Call of Duty'' (Canada) and ''Operation: Fred'' (US). In the 1960s, La Rue was one of ...

'' (1972) (AE) * '' Fear Is the Key'' (1972) – produced by Kanter, Ladd and Kastner (AE) (Dist by P in USA) * '' Never Mind the Quality Feel the Width'' (1973) * ''

Baxter! ''Baxter!'' is a 1973 British-American drama film directed by Lionel Jeffries and starring Patricia Neal, Jean-Pierre Cassel and Britt Ekland. The film follows a young boy called Roger Baxter who struggles to overcome his speech problem (rhotac ...

'' (1973) (AE) * ''

Steptoe and Son Ride Again ''Steptoe and Son Ride Again'' is a 1973 British comedy film. It is a sequel to the film ''Steptoe and Son (film), Steptoe and Son'' (1972) based on Steptoe and Son, the television series. As usual, the film starred Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. C ...

'' (1973) * ''

The Final Programme ''The Final Programme'' is a novel by British science fiction and fantasy writer Michael Moorcock. Written in 1965 as the underground culture was beginning to emerge, it was not published for several years. Moorcock has stated that publishers a ...

'' (1973) (AE) * '' The Dove'' (1974) (D) * ''Our Cissy'' (1974) (short) * '' Stardust'' (1974) (AE) * ''

'' (1974) (AE) * ''

Sunday in the Country Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In most Western countries, Sunday is a day of rest and a part of the weekend. It is often considered the first day of the week. For most observant adherents of Christianity, Sunday ...

'' (1974) (D) * ''

Monty Python and the Holy Grail ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'' is a 1975 British comedy film satirizing the Arthurian legend, written and performed by the Monty Python comedy group (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin) an ...

'' (1975) * '' All Creatures Great and Small'' (1975) * ''Trick or Treat?'' (1976) (abandoned) * ''

The Likely Lads ''The Likely Lads'' is a British sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais and produced by Dick Clement. Twenty episodes were broadcast by the BBC, in three series, between 16 December 1964 and 23 July 1966. However, only te ...

'' (1976) * ''

Spanish Fly The Spanish fly (''Lytta vesicatoria'') is an aposematic emerald-green beetle in the blister beetle family (Meloidae). It is distributed across Eurasia. The species and others in its family were used in traditional apothecary preparations ...

'' (1976) (D) * ''

It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet ''It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet'' (in the United States also known as ''All Things Bright and Beautiful''), is a 1976 sequel to the 1975 film '' All Creatures Great and Small''. Although having the same title as James Herriot's second novel, the ...

'' (1976) * '' Aces High'' (1976) (D) * ''

'' (1976) ( P) * ''

Sweeney! ''Sweeney!'' is a 1977 British action crime drama film and extension of the ITV television series ''The Sweeney'' which aired on ITV from 1975 to 1978. The film did well enough at the box office that a sequel, ''Sweeney 2'', was released in cine ...

'' (1977) * ''

Cross of Iron ''Cross of Iron'' (German: ''Steiner – Das Eiserne Kreuz'', lit. "Steiner – The Iron Cross") is a 1977 war film directed by Sam Peckinpah, featuring James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason and David Warner. Set on the Eastern Front ...

'' (1977) (A-E) * ''Twenty Five Years'' (1977) (documentary) * ''

Welcome to Blood City ''Welcome to Blood City'' is a 1977 science fiction Western film directed by Peter Sasdy and starring Jack Palance, Keir Dullea and Samantha Eggar. Plot Five strangers awake finding themselves with no memory in a world resembling the wild west. ...

'' (1977)

Co-productions with Columbia

* ''

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

'' (December 1976) - also with British Lion * '' The Greatest'' (May 1977) – also with British Lion * '' The Deep'' (June 1977) * ''

'' (November 1977) * ''

The Cheap Detective ''The Cheap Detective'' is a 1978 American mystery comedy film written by Neil Simon and directed by Robert Moore. It stars Peter Falk as Lou Peckinpaugh, a parody of Humphrey Bogart. The film is a parody of Bogart films such as ''Casablanca'' ...

'' (June 1978)

Michael Deeley and Barry Spikings regime

* ''

Silver Bears ''Silver Bears'' is a 1978 British comedy crime thriller film based on a novel by Paul Erdman, directed by Ivan Passer and starring Michael Caine, Cybill Shepherd, Louis Jourdan and Joss Ackland. Caine portrays mob accountant "Doc" Fletcher w ...

'' (1977) * ''

'' (1978) * ''

'' (1978) – with United Artists * ''

'' (1978) – with 20th Century Fox * ''

'' (1978) * ''

'' (1978) – with Universal

TV movies

* ''

'' (April 1977) * ''

The Girl Called Hatter Fox ''The Girl Called Hatter Fox'' is a 1977 American TV movie starring Ronny Cox and directed by George Schaefer (director), George Schaefer. It was the first film produced by EMI Television (they released ''The Amazing Howard Hughes'', but bought th ...

'' (October 1977) * ''

Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 1 ...

'' (February 1978) * ''

Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama * ''Forever'' (1992 film), an American ...

'' (January 1978) * ''

'' (February 1978) * '' Just Me and You'' (May 1978) * '' One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story'' (September 1978) * ''

Betrayal Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. Ofte ...

'' (November 1978) * ''

Steel Cowboy ''Steel Cowboy'' is a 1978 American made-for-television drama film starring James Brolin, Rip Torn, Jennifer Warren, Strother Martin and Melanie Griffith. It was originally broadcast on NBC on December 6, 1978. Plot With his marriage, sanity and ...

'' (December 1978) * '' Lawman Without a Gun'' (December 1978) * ''

Deathmoon ''Deathmoon'' is a 1978 American made-for-television horror film from EMI Television directed by Bruce Kessler. Jason Palmer is sent on vacation by his doctor. He goes to Hawaii, because that's where his grandfather once worked. Palmer doesn't kn ...

'' (May 1978) * '' Lawman Without a Gun'' (1978) * ''

The Cracker Factory ''The Cracker Factory'' is an American television film directed by Burt Brinckerhoff. The teleplay by Richard Shapiro is based on the best-selling 1977 novel by Joyce Rebeta-Burditt. The film was broadcast by ABC on March 16, 1979. Synopsis Alc ...

'' (March 1979) * ''

S.O.S. Titanic ''S.O.S. Titanic'' is a British-American 1979 drama disaster television movie that depicts the doomed 1912 maiden voyage from the perspective of three distinct groups of passengers in First, Second, and Third Class. The script was written by Jam ...

'' (September 1979) * '' Survival of Dana'' (1979) * '' Can You Hear the Laughter? The Story of Freddie Prinze'' (September 1979) * ''

Orphan Train The Orphan Train Movement was a supervised welfare program that transported children from crowded Eastern cities of the United States to foster homes located largely in rural areas of the Midwestern United States, Midwest. The orphan trains opera ...

'' (December 1979) * '' The Dances Goes On'' (1980) * '' Sophia Loren: Her Own Story'' (October 1980) * '' My Kidnapper, My Love'' (December 1980) * ''

The Killing of Randy Webster ''The Killing of Randy Webster'' is a 1981 American made-for-television drama film based on a true story starring Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter, James Whitmore Jr., Jennifer Jason Leigh and Sean Penn. Fact-based story of a father's tireless investig ...

'' (1981) * ''

Broken Promise ''Broken Promise'' ( sk, Nedodržaný sľub) is a 2009 drama film directed by Jiří Chlumský and starring Samuel Spišák, Ondřej Vetchý, and Zuzana Porubjaková. The film was Slovakia's submission to the 82nd Academy Awards in the Best For ...

'' (1981) * '' The Manions of America'' (1981) * '' A Piano for Mrs. Cimino'' (February 1982) * '' A Question of Honor'' (1982) * ''

Coming Out of the Ice ''Coming Out of the Ice'' is a 1982 American made-for-television biographical film of Victor Herman.THE LIFE OF AN AMERICAN IN SIBERIA Boston Globe 23 May 1982: 1. It is based upon Herman's 1979 autobiography of the same name. Cast *John Savage ...

'' (1982) * '' Deadly Encounter'' (1982) * ''

The Legend of Walks Far Woman '' The Legend of Walks Far Woman'' is a 1982 American television film starring Raquel Welch and Bradford Dillman. It aired on NBC. Plot An Indian woman kills her husband after he is violent towards her. She is banished from her tribe. Cast *Raque ...

'' (May 1982) (filmed 1979) * ''

Packin' It In ''Packin' It In'' is a 1983 American television film, made-for-television comedy-drama, comedy-drama film starring Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss. It was directed by Jud Taylor. Plot A family decide to move to Oregon. Cast *Richard Benjami ...

'' (1983)

Barry Spikings

* ''

'' (July 1979) – with British Lion – distributed by AFD * '' The Crown Prince'' (1979) * ''

'' (June 1980) – distributed by AFD * '' The Awakening'' (October 1980) – with Orion – distributed by Warners * ''

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

'' (October 1980) – with Robert Stigwood, distributed by AFD * ''

'' (October 1980) – with Brooksfilms – distributed by Columbia-EMI-Warner (UK), Paramount (US) * ''

'' (December 1980) – distributed by AFD * ''

'' (August 1981) – distributed by AFD * '' Evil Under the Sun'' (March 1982) – distributed by AFD * ''

Britannia Hospital ''Britannia Hospital'' is a 1982 British black comedy film, directed by Lindsay Anderson, which targets the National Health Service and contemporary British society. It was entered into the 1982 Cannes Film Festival and Fantasporto. ''Britannia ...

'' (May 1982) – with British Lion * ''

Frances Frances is a French and English given name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'free one.' The male version of the name in English is Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman", comes from the ...

'' (December 1982) – with Brooksfilms, distributed by Universal * '' Second Thoughts'' (February 1983) – distributed by Universal * '' Bad Boys'' (March 1983) – distributed by Universal * ''

Tender Mercies ''Tender Mercies'' is a 1983 American drama (film and television), drama film directed by Bruce Beresford. The screenplay by Horton Foote focuses on Mac Sledge, a recovering alcoholism, alcoholic country music singer who seeks to turn his life aro ...

'' (Mar 1983) – distributed by Universal * ''

Strange Invaders ''Strange Invaders'' is a 1983 American science fiction film directed and co-written by Michael Laughlin, and stars Paul Le Mat, Nancy Allen and Diana Scarwid. Produced as a tribute to the sci-fi films of the 1950s, notably ''The Invasion of t ...

'' (Sep 1983) – distributed by Orion * '' Cross Creek'' (May 1983) – with Universal, distributed by AFD, Universal * ''

Handgun A handgun is a short- barrelled gun, typically a firearm, that is designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun (i.e. rifle, shotgun or machine gun, etc.), which needs to be held by both hands and also braced ...

'' (May 1983, produced in 1981)

Verity Lambert

* ''

Slayground ''Slayground'' is a 1983 British crime thriller film directed by Terry Bedford. Starring Peter Coyote, Mel Smith and Billie Whitelaw, the film is adapted from ''Slayground'', the 14th Parker novel (although the main character has been renamed to ...

'' (December 1983) * '' Comfort and Joy'' (August 1984) * '' Not for Publication'' (November 1984) * ''

'' (December 1984) * ''

'' (March 1985) * ''

Restless Natives ''Restless Natives'' is a 1985 Scottish cinema adventure comedy, directed by Michael Hoffman. Plot The story follows the adventures of two Scottish youths from the Wester Hailes district of Edinburgh, played by Vincent Friell and Joe Mulla ...

'' (June 1985) * ''

'' (October 1985) * ''

'' (October 1985) * '' Highlander'' (March 1986) * ''

'' (March 1986) * '' Link'' (March 1986)

Later films

* ''

The Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the project w ...

'' (June 1986) (TESE) * ''

It Couldn't Happen Here ''It Couldn't Happen Here'' is a 1988 musical film starring the British pop duo Pet Shop Boys and based on the music from their first two studio albums ''Please'' and ''Actually''. It was originally conceived as an hour-long video based on ''Act ...

'' (July 1988) * '' Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem'' (May 2003) (D) (credited as "

Virgin Music Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldw ...

", a member of the EMI Group") * AA = co-production with

* ABPC = produced by

* AE = as Anglo-EMI * AFD = distributed by Associated Film Distributors * C = co-production with

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

* D = distributor only * H = co-production with

* MGM = co-production with

* Orion = co-production with

* P = co-production with

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

* TESE = as Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment * U = co-production with

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

* UA = co-production with

* WB = co-production with

References

* Forbes, Bryan, ''A Divided Life'', Mandarin Paperbacks, 1993 * Walker, Alexander, ''Hollywood England'', Harrap and Stein, 1974 * Walker, Alexander, ''National Heroes: British Cinema in the Seventies and Eighties'', Harrap, 1985 * Walker, Alexander, ''Icons in the Fire: The Rise and Fall of Practically Everyone in the British Film Industry 1984–2000'', Orion Books, 2005

External links

* {{Authority control 1969 establishments in England 1986 disestablishments in England British companies established in 1969 British companies disestablished in 1986 Mass media companies established in 1969 Mass media companies disestablished in 1986 EMI Film production companies of the United Kingdom The Cannon Group, Inc.